F is for Finsbury Park

 I love flowers
I love the shapes they form
The colours, the scent.
The simple beauty they bring to the world.

But running your own business is tough, especially nowadays
And people see flowers as a luxury they can do without
Or something they can buy cheaper in the supermarket.

My Dad says that when you love your job
It's not like work. Every day is a pleasure.
'But when you've got no money,' I say back
'Every day is a battle for survival.'
He nods. 'When you've got no money
'You have to be creative.
And getting noticed is the key.'

So I think about it,
And come up with an idea for my shop, Deadhead Flowers.
Every morning I tape a bouquet to a lamppost or tree
Like what you see when someone has lost their life.
Killed on that spot by a car
Or a knife.

I put in a message for the public to read.
Things like: Nobody Died Here,
No Fatal Accident Occurred Here.
Flowers for Life, I call it,
I leave my card with 10% off if they quote the phrase:
Flowers for Life.

Only nobody has quoted it yet.
And I even caught one woman taking the flowers
And shoving them into her bag.

What the hell else can I do, I think,
To bring some beauty
To this bitch-hearted world of ours?